Ooh La La

Sorry for any spelling mistakes - I'm exhausted and had to get this out! Clara and the Doctor share a moment before the memory worm wipes the hour away. 

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The red scarf in his hand smelled of vanilla and spice.Warm and inviting.

The barmaid, Clara. Somehow she’d followed him up into the clouds. She’d been the one to knock on the TARDIS door.

A clever one, that girl. Able to match his wit and peak his interest. How could she not? She was stunning from her long chocolate locks, to large eyes widened with curiosity and framed by pointed brows, pouty red lips  accompanied a sharp tongue. Her hourglass figure was on display in a dress that hugged her tightly. The color red complimented her olive skintone.

Since losing Amelia and Rory, it’d been a while since the Doctor had felt anything for another human. It’d been even longer since he’d let himself feel any kind of attraction towards a woman. Yet he closed his eyes and he could see her dimpled smile.

He resisted temptation for a few days before he came down off his cloud again, finding himself in front of the Rose and Crown bar. This time she was in green. Emerald. Her hair half up, the rest in curls that fluttered down her back when she floated between tables, a tray of drinks in hand, making any patron she crossed smile.

Her eyes flew to the doorway, the corner of her lips lifting into a smirk as they landed on him. With a pat on the shoulder of one of her patrons, she walked around the table to the door, arms crossed over her chest causing it to lift her breasts in perfect mounds over the neckline of her dress.

“I thought you said we’d never meet again?” She asked.

His eyes traveled to her chest before lifting once more to meet hers. “It was you.” He replied. “You, who knocked on the door a few nights ago. How did you find me?”

“Did it take you days to figure it out or days to summon the courage to leave your box again?” Clara quipped. “Sit. Let me get you a drink. I’m sure the trip down from the clouds can be tiring.”

Again, she managed to avoid the question, turning it around but not waiting for the answer. The Doctor did as he was told, sitting at a table in the corner of the bar while she returned with ale, placing the cup down before taking a seat beside him.

“Have you been thinking about the snowmen?” He asked as he became encompassed with the smell of vanilla and spice again.

“The snowmen? No. But you on the other hand…” Her chocolate eyes reflected the flickering candlelight as they looked him over in admiration, her long lashes fluttering with each blink.

“Me?” His eyebrows raised. “What about me?”

“How long it would be before I ran into you again. There were many questions you left unanswered but none more important than this - what are you? Are you magic?” Clara’s voice was soft and melodic, like a songbird in his ears, as she moved in closer to hear his response above the bustle of the crowd.

“Magic, no. I’m a Time Lord. That blue box is a spaceship and I can travel anywhere, to any place, to any time.” The doctor answered honestly, watching as her brows lifted in intrigue while her mind tried to process what she’d been told.

“Anywhere. Anyplace. At any point of time.” She repeated the words while her eyes moved between his. “And yet to choose to stay here, in a cloud overwatching our city. Something must’ve happened to you. Something bad.”

He hung his head at how pathetic he’d gotten in his mourning. “I’ve lost many friends along the way. Many people I’ve loved and cared for. When the journey becomes encompassed with death and devestation, you wonder how worth it, it all is.”

“They must’ve been very important to you.” She replied, placing a warm, comforting hand over his. She remained silent as he stared at the cup of ale in front of him, unsure of how to break his silence before she stood to her feet. “Dance with me?” She asked as she pulled on his hand to lift him.

With a small smile on his lips, it was impossible to deny her. He stood, taking her hand in his, the other resting on her lower back as the two swayed to the music played by the band in the far right corner. Clara’s chest pressed against his, her eyes searching his as she followed his lead. “I’m glad you came down again.” She whispered. “No one deserves to wallow in misery this close to Christmas.”

“Christmas.” He chuckled under his breath. “It always was my favorite.”

Clara smiled, causing his lips to curl into one as well. “I assume you’ve neglected to make a list this year?”

“It appears I have, yet you’re right in front of me. Maybe things are turning around after all.” His voice came in a harsh whisper and her gaze lowered, a warm blush sweeping her cheeks.

“How old are you, Doctor?” Clara asked, resting her head against his chest as they danced, listening to the rapid pace of not one, but two heart beats.

“Over a thousand.” He replied, his hand on the small of her back. “Does that scare you?”

“No.” He felt her head shake against him. “It saddens me.”

Lifting his head from the softness of her hair to look down at her, he raised a brow. “Why?”

Clara raised her head to look up at him, her deep eyes reading into his. “Because the world can be cruel. It makes a habit of wearing down those most deserving of love and kindness.”

There were many reasons the Doctor was drawn to her. Her wit. Yes. Her beauty. Yes. But above all, it was her ability to empathize with a stranger. Someone who’d been rude and dismissive at first encounter. Yet, she saw him as kind.

His hand traveled up her back as they stared into each other’s eyes, coming to a stop on the side of her delicate neck, his thumb brushing her jaw. Lowering his head, his lips met hers and he could feel her breath catch in her throat though the motion was welcomed. She ran her fingers up through his hair. It’d gotten much longer than he could excuse yet he liked the feeling of her gentle tug as she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.

It was one of his unspoken rules that he would not get intimate with his companions. Love was difficult to navigate when one party didn’t age. Yet, all he wanted to do was show Clara the world. Take her to places she could never imagine existing and watch as her eyes lit up with curiosity. His immediate desire was to take her back to the TARDIS and make love to her. Feel the love and healing from her touch.

Pulling away from eachother, Clara’s cheeks were flushed red to match her lips.  “I - I’ll be right back.” He whispered, his forehead still resting on hers. “Wait for me at our table.”

With a nod, the corner of her lip slightly twitched with the urge to question but he walked outside, leaning against the cold brick wall, reaching his hand into the inner pocket of his coat. His fingers caressed the key to the TARDIS  while his hearts played a tug of war. Was he ready for a new companion? He desperately wanted to ask but could he stand to lose someone again?

He could see  Clara standing by their table, her back facing him as she spoke with another woman. His hearts sank to his stomach as he heard her infectious laugh and he had his answer.